Oregon lost its most prestigious racetrack with the closure of Portland Meadows, but the Beaver State has gained prominence in recent years as the most-prominent licensing hub for providers of online betting on horse races from all over the world.
Despite the decline in live racing in the state, Oregon remains a prominent player in horse racing as the leading U.S. licensing hub for providers of online wagering. A license granted by Oregon or its main licensing competitor North Dakota allows operators of advance-deposit wagering (ADW) sites to take bets from residents of all states that allow parimutuel wagering on horses.
Among the ADW operators licensed in Oregon are the four largest – TVG.com; TwinSpires.com; NYRABETS.com; and Xpressbet.com – as well as some smaller providers like AmWager.com and BetPTC.com.
Not surprisingly, nearly all ADW providers – including those licensed in North Dakota – accept customers from Oregon.
In addition to parimutuel wagering on horses, Oregon law allows for sports betting, including online wagering; tribal casinos; a lottery; and charitable gaming.
You must be 18 or older to place online horse bets in Oregon.
Oregon Horse Race Betting Sites & Offers
| Racebooks | Welcome Offer for Oregon | Other Promos |
| Nyra Bets | $200 deposit match | Odds boosters, daily offers |
| TVG | Get up to $200 back | Get a $25 Bonus for every friend you refer |
| TwinSpires | $200 sign-up offer | Free play daily & weekly options |
| Xpressbet | $100 sign-up bonus | XB Rewards loyalty program |
| 123bet | $1230 new member bonus | Refer-a-Friend bonus: get $50 |
| 1/ST BET | $100 sign-up bonus | Rewards points every Tuesday and other weekly offers |
| AmWager | $300 deposit match | Daily cash rewards |
| FanDuel Racing | Get 100% bonus up to $50 + get a $10 Sportsbook credit | 10% bonus on win bets |
| DRF | Get a $200 bonus on the first deposit | Earn up to $50 every week |
| Hollywoodraces.com | $200 Sign-Up Bonus | WINsurance Offers: refund up to $20 |
| WatchandWager.com | Bonus up to $25 | The weekly 3-2-1 Bonus, no maximum payouts on cashback |
How to claim a horse racing bet promo in Oregon?
How to claim a horse racing bet promo in Oregon?
- Visit one of the legal horse betting sites in Oregon, like Xpressbet.com or Nyra Bets.
- Click the Sign-Up button to register an account
- Make an initial deposit and place your bets
- Follow terms and conditions, and wagering requirements apply.
Horse racing betting features for Oregon
- Nyra Bets Oregon Features:
- Free live video streaming (HD live and replay)
- Free handicapping tips
- Swap positions quickly for Exacta, Tri & Supers
- Weekly live money handicapping contests with cash prizes
- TVG Oregon Features:
- TVG Expert Picks for everyday
- Free Past Performances Program
- Live streams from tracks around the US and beyond
- Money Back Special on select races
- TwinSpires Oregon Features:
- First Race Freeplay: get $100 in Free Bets
- 15% boost on a winning Trifecta bet every Tuesday
- Exacta insurance: get a bet back of up to $10
- Live races and highlights of previous races
- Bet Back offers (receive a refund for your bet if the horse you bet on to win the race finishes in second or third)
- Daily Double bets
- Xpressbet Oregon Features:
- Horse racing’s leading loyalty program (receive two XB Rewards Points for every dollar you wager)
- Cash prizes in regular handicapping contests
- Deposit by mail
- Bet the horse races over the phone
- AmWager Oregon Features:
- Advanced wagering structuring tools. Dutching, ABC method, Rank betting.
- Fair Value Exacta Grid (allows you to quickly see exacta bets that have been over bet or under bet based on the win pool)
- FanDuel Racing Oregon Features:
- Cash in with Win Bet insurance
- Live streaming (+200 tracks around the world)
- Best bets of the day
- DRF Oregon Features:
- Unlimited DRF Classic and Formulator Past Performances
- Free Beyer Speed Figures
- Free DRF expert picks
- 1/ST Bet Oregon Features:
- Up-to-date news about upcoming races
- Unlimited access to the BETMIX products
- 123bet Oregon Features:
- No fees Friday (deposit $10 or more via credit card or Paynearme)
- Loyalty Reward Points
- Handicapping products from Equibase
- Hollywood Races Oregon Features:
- Free Expert Picks
- Loyalty program for top players
- Watch and Wager Oregon Features:
- Horse Racing Contests Daily for free
- Refer-a-Friend Bonus
Horse bet types available online
In Oregon, you can place different types of horse wagers. The most popular online bets are
- Win (the horse you bet on must come first)
- Place (the horse must finish first or second)
- Show (the horse must come either first, second, or third)
- Win Place (places a win and place bet in one bet)
- Win Show (places a win and show bet in one bet)
- Win Place Show (aka “across the board”; combines Win, Place and Show into one bet)
- Exacta (you bet on horses to come first and second in that order)
- Quinella (the same as exacta, but horses can finish in any order for you to win the bet)
- Trifecta (three horses should finish first, second and third in that order)
- Superfecta (the same as trifecta but here you bet on four horses)
- Super High 5 (you have to choose the winner of five races in a row)
- Grand Slam (pick a horse to finish in the top three in three straight races, capped by the winner of the fourth race in the sequence)
- Parlays (combine multiple selections on the same ticket, even if the races aren’t in sequential order).
Banking
- Credit and Debit Cards
- ACH Bank Transfer / eCheck
- Wire Transfer
- Green Dot
- PayNearMe
- Check or Money Order
- MoneyGram
- PayPal
- By mail: Xpressbet & Hollywood Races
- Bitcoin: AmWager via BitPay
Oregon Horse Betting Overview
The first organized horse races in Oregon occurred in 1891 when the county fair in Tillamook added equine contests to its menu. Other fairs followed soon followed suit and the tradition continues to this day with three fairs holding short summer meets.
The closure of Portland Meadows after its 2019 meeting was a blow to live racing in the state. The track, which opened in 1946 and was later the first to conduct racing at night under the lights, was redeveloped as a freight logistics center.
The track at the Josephine County Fairgrounds in Grants Pass, which opened in 1968, stepped in to take over some of Portland Meadows’s racing dates under a private racing association. As of early 2022, the track now known as Grants Pass Downs was scheduled to host a total of 38 days of live racing featuring thoroughbreds and quarter horses in two meetings – from May 9 through July 5 and from Sept. 4 through Oct. 25.
Fair racing meets will be conducted in June at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show; in July at the Crooked River Roundup in Prineville and in August at the aforementioned Tillamook fair.
Fun fact about horse racing in Oregon
Jumron, who finished fourth in the 1994 Kentucky Derby, was the first and only horse to begin his career at Portland Meadows before racing in the Run for the Roses for trainer Gary Lewis and owner Charles Dunn.
Popular horse racing events to bet on in Oregon
- Firecracker Futurity
- The Jack Rhoden Memorial Race
- The Kentucky Derby
- Belmont Stakes
- Preakness Stakes
- Breeders’ Cup
- Royal Ascot
- Cheltenham Festival
- Travers Stakes
- Pacific Classic Stakes
- Haskell Invitational
- Dubai World Cup
- Melbourne Cup
- Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
- Grand National
Horse Race Tracks in Oregon
- Grants Pass Downs
- Harney County Fair
- Tillamook County Fair
- Crooked River Roundup
- Eastern Oregon Livestock Show
- Portland Meadows (closed in 2019)
The state also has a dozen off-track betting facilities, including the relocated Portland Meadows, which also has a cardroom and restaurant.
FAQs
Yes, you can. 18 is the minimum gambling age in Oregon for playing online and at any of the state’s racetracks.
Yes, Oregon allows horse racing betting online and through mobile apps. The big four horse racing betting sites – TwinSpires.com, TVG.com, Xpressbet.com, and NYRABets.com – currently provide service for Oregon residents.
No, the BetMGM Horse Racing App is not allowed in Oregon.
Yes, OTB is legal in Oregon. There are dozen off-track betting facilities based in Milwaukie, Portland, Medford, and Klamath Falls.